Ezekiel 37

REVIEW QUESTIONS

In what way would they be disappointed who cast covetous eyes on the desolate land of Israel?

What three crimes had been committed against the land of Israel?

What does it mean when God lifts up His hand with regard to any matter?

Some claimed that the land of Canaan devoured its inhabitants. What did they mean by this?

In what way did Israel unwittingly profane the name of God in captivity?

Were all the glowing promises regarding the restoration to Canaan fulfilled literally and continually?

What did the restoration of Israel to Canaan prove about God?

What connection is there between the repentance of Israel and restoration to their land?

What does Ezekiel say which forms the background for the New Testament doctrine of the indwelling of God’s Spirit?

How would God save His people from their uncleanness?

Once in Canaan, what attitude would the Jews have toward their former life of sin?

When were the promises of restoration fulfilled?

What did the valley of dry bones symbolize?

HOW is the spiritual depression of the Babylonian exiles indicated in chapter 37?

What did the resurrection of the dry bones symbolize?

Explain the parable of the two sticks.

What does Ezekiel say about the ruler of the united tribes?

How was the prophecy of a sanctuary for God’s people fulfilled?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

II. THE REBIRTH OF THE NATION 37:1-28

Ezekiel had been promising God’s people a bright future with new leadership and a new Canaan. However, these promises were met with as much skepticism as his earlier message announcing the 587 B.C. overthrow of Jerusalem. The destruction of their Temple meant the shattering of their faith. They were absolutely convinced that their dead and disjointed nation could never live again. By means of a vision (Ezekiel 37:1-14) and a symbolic action and an oracle (Ezekiel 37:15-28) Ezekiel responded to their despondency. In the vision Ezekiel learns that God’s Spirit had the power to turn what looked like a host of skeletons into an effective army. In the oracle and accompanying symbolic act Ezekiel points out that the old divisions between Israel and Judah would disappear in the day of restoration.

A. The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones 37:1-14

TRANSLATION

(1) The hand of the LORD was upon me, and the LORD brought me out in the Spirit, and set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones; (2) and He caused me to pass by them round about, and, behold, there were very many upon the surface of the valley; and, behold, they were very dry. (3) And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live again? And I said, O Lord GOD, You know. (4) And He said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. (5) Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, Behold, I am about to cause spirit to enter into you, and you shall live. (6) And I will put sinews upon you, and I will bring upon you flesh, and I will cover you with flesh, and put spirit in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD. (7) So I prophesied as I was commanded, and as I prophesied there was a sound, and, behold, a shaking, and bones came together, bone to its bone. (8) And I saw, and, behold, sinews and flesh came upon them, and flesh covered them above; but no spirit was in them. (9) And he said unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breath on these slain ones that they may live. (10) So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the spirit, came on them, and they lived, and they stood on their feet, an exceeding great host. (11) And he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they are saying, Our bones are dry, our hope has perished, we are cut off. (12) Therefore, prophesy and say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O My people; and I will bring you unto the land of Israel. (13) And you shall know that I am the LORD when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O My people. (14) And I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and you shall know that I the LORD have spoken, and done it (oracle of the LORD).

COMMENTS

Thanks to the Negro spiritual, Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones is perhaps the best known passage in the book. The prophet felt the hand of the Lord, i.e., God’s power overwhelmed him. He was carried in spirit, i.e., mentally, to the middle of a valley, perhaps the same valley where Ezekiel earlier saw a vision (cf. Ezekiel 3:22). The floor of that valley was littered with the bones of dead men (Ezekiel 37:1). The Lord caused His prophet to move about in that valley. As he did so Ezekiel was impressed with two facts: (1) the bones were numerous; and (2) they were very dry, having lain exposed to the elements for many long years (Ezekiel 37:2).

In order to heighten the prophet’s interest and give him a foregleam of what was about to transpire, God asked Ezekiel a question: Can these bones live? From the human standpoint nothing seemed more remote. But Ezekiel would not underestimate the power of God. If He so willed those mouldering bones could live (Ezekiel 37:3). Then Ezekiel was told to prophesy to those bones, and bid them to hear God’s word (Ezekiel 37:4). God would resurrect those skeletons by means of a process which He describes in reverse order. Life-giving spirit would be imparted to those corpses (Ezekiel 37:5). Perhaps this is mentioned first so as to underscore the point that God is the source of life for His people. Of course sinew, flesh and skin must first cover those skeletons. This miraculous and mass resurrection would once again underscore the deity of the only God who would dare to make such a prediction (Ezekiel 37:6).

Ezekiel did as he was told. As he prophesied he heard a sound. Suddenly a commotion a shaking erupted all over the valley as the bones began to unite (Ezekiel 37:7). Then over those naked skeletons flesh began to appear. But still there was no life in the corpses (Ezekiel 37:8).

Again Ezekiel was told to prophesy, this time to the spirit or breath. The breath of life which once had animated those corpses is thought of as having been scattered in all directions. Ezekiel through this mighty prophetic prayer summoned the life-giving spirit to return from wherever it may be[461] (Ezekiel 37:9). The prophet again did as he was told, and the breath of life returned to the corpses and they lived. A great host all over that valley rose to their feet (Ezekiel 37:10).

[461] Another possible interpretation The wind from the four corners of the earth is but a symbol of the universal life-giving spirit of God.

There can be no doubt as to the meaning of this vision. The dry and disjointed bones are a sad symbol of the entire people of Israel. The Northern Kingdom of Israel and now the Southern Kingdom of Judah as well had been destroyed and left desolate. The scattered survivors of the two kingdoms could in no sense be considered a nation any longer. Our bones are dried up, they cried. The hope of ever again existing as a nation had been lost. They compare themselves to limbs severed from the body cut off never again to be united in a living organism (Ezekiel 37:11). Nationally they were dead and disjointed with no prospect of anything better.

God had a positive word for those discouraged exiles. The graves (i.e., the foreign lands) where God’s people were languishing in captivity would be opened. Israel would be resurrected from those metaphorical graves and restored to Canaan (Ezekiel 37:12). This stupendous miracle of national resurrection would cause the people’s faith in the Lord to be firmly established (Ezekiel 37:13). Only the impartation of God’s life-giving Spirit could effect such a revival; only the action of God could bring them back to their own land. The God of Israel not only has the prescience to predict the future, He has the power to perform His word (Ezekiel 37:14).

Ezekiel 37:15-28

B. The Oracle of the Two Sticks 37:15-28

TRANSLATION

(15) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (16) Now as for you, son of man, take for yourself a stick, and write upon it: For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel his companions; (17) And bring them near one to the other into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. (18) And when the children of your people say to you: Will you not declare to us what you mean by these things? (19) say unto them: Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and tribes of Israel his companions, and I will put them upon the stick of Judah, and I will make them to be one stick; and they shall be one in My hand. (20) And the sticks upon which you have written shall be in your hand before their eyes. (21) And say unto them: Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the children of Israel from among the nations where they went, and I will gather them from round about; and I will bring them into their land. (22) And I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to all of them; and they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they be divided anymore into two kingdoms. (23) They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their abominations and with all their transgressions; and I will save them out of all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them, and they shall be My people, and I shall be their God. (24) And My servant David shall be king over them, and there shall be one shepherd to all of them; and they shall walk in My ordinances, and they shall keep My statutes, and do them. (25) And they shall dwell upon the land which I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers dwell; and they shall dwell therein, they and their sons and their grandsons forever; and David My servant shall be prince forever. (26) And I will make a covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting covenant, with them; and I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. (27) And My dwelling place shall be over them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (28) And the nations shall know that I the LORD sanctified Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in their midst forever.

COMMENTS

Revived Israel would be a unified nation. The schism which occurred in 931 B.C. between the northern tribes and Judah would be a thing of the past. To symbolically portray this reunion of the tribes, Ezekiel was told to take two sticks emblems of the royal scepters and to label each. The first stick represented Judah and those of the children of Israel who had allied themselves with Judah. The tribe of Benjamin, though related to the northern tribes, chose to remain loyal to the Davidic dynasty in 931 B.C. The second stick represented the Northern Kingdom which is here as frequently in the Old Testament called Ephraim after the largest and most influential tribe of the north. All the house of Israel refers to the other nine tribes who joined Ephraim in constituting the Northern Kingdom (Ezekiel 37:16).

The prophet was to take the newly inscribed sticks and hold them end to end to make it appear that they were one stick (Ezekiel 37:17). Such an action was designed to provoke interrogation and provide a preaching point (Ezekiel 37:18). When asked about the sticks Ezekiel was to explain the parable thusly. All the tribes which had joined Ephraim in the secession of 931 B.C. would be joined with Judah to form a single kingdom. This reunification would be a divine act brought about by the hand of God (Ezekiel 37:19).

Holding the sticks together in his hand (Ezekiel 37:20), Ezekiel was to amplify this reunification theme. Israelites as well as Jews would be gathered up from captive lands and brought to Canaan (Ezekiel 37:21). There they would form one nation with the tribe of Judah. All citizens of that kingdom would pay homage to one king (Ezekiel 37:22). All would be dedicated to the Lord. Heathen practices absorbed from the pagan environment of captivity would be purged from these people. God would then rescue them out of those pagan lands where they were currently dwelling. These cleansed and redeemed people would then enter into a new relationship with the Lord. He would be their God the object of their devotion and worship and they would be His people the object of His concern and blessing (Ezekiel 37:23).

The king who would rule that united kingdom is now identified. He would be My servant David, not David in the flesh of course, but a scion of David’s house (cf. Ezekiel 34:23). This king would be their spiritual as well as their political ruler, for He would be their shepherd. Under the tender leadership of this shepherd-king God’s people would faithfully carry out the commandments and ordinances of the Lord (Ezekiel 37:24).

To Jacob, the ancestor of Israel, God had promised a land. The physical terrain of Canaan was but a preview of that land. The patriarchs knew this. Abraham looked for a city whose maker and builder was God (Hebrews 11:10). The redeemed children of Israel and Judah would dwell in that land forever. What land is that? The territory, the kingdom, the nation over which the glorious Prince of the house of David would rule (Ezekiel 37:25).

Other blessings of the coming age are spelled out in the closing verses of chapter 37.

1. The citizens of that future kingdom would be under a new covenant a covenant of peace which would be everlasting. No covenant other than that one inaugurated by the death and ratified by the resurrection of Jesus Christ could possibly be intended. Through Christ peace with God becomes a reality and peace with man a potentiality.

2. These believers would enjoy security under that new covenant for God would establish (lit., give) them.

3. God would multiply them in that Holy Land. The Book of Acts records the thrilling fulfillment of this blessed promise.

4. The sanctuary of God would be in the midst of His people forever (Ezekiel 37:26). The physical Temple erected by Zerubbabel after the return from exile was but a preview of the true sanctuary in which Jesus ministers (Hebrews 8:2). This promise receives its highest realization first in the Incarnation (John 1:14), next in God’s inhabitation of the church through the Spirit (2 Corinthians 6:16), and finally in His tabernacling with redeemed men in the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3; Revelation 21:22). Just as the old Temple towered over the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so in the future age God’s dwelling place would be over His people. This figure sets forth the idea of God’s protective grace.

5. The people of God would enjoy intimate communion with their Maker in that day (Ezekiel 37:27). Once again the promise only attains complete realization in the relationship of Christian believers to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 6:16).

6. This glorious transformation of Israel’s condition would have a profound effect upon the heathen world round about. They would see the sanctuary of God (see promise 4 above) in the midst of Israel and they would recognize His presence and power among them. They would recognize in the lives of the redeemed the power of God to sanctify people, and having recognized this, they would seek admittance to the congregation and fellowship of God’s spiritual Israel, the church of Christ.